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Today is my final day in London. I cannot believe these three weeks have flown by so fast. This is a bittersweet departure from a city I’ve grown to love. I have been gone from home for two and a half months due to my internship in Washington D.C. and this study tour in London. I am ready to return home to Oklahoma and my beloved dog, Emma. At the same time, I do not want to leave. I will greatly miss the view from my window in Reid Hall at Regents University and the wonderful temperature in the U.K.

The thing I am least looking forward to when I return home is the weather. It is scheduled to be 100 degrees whenever I get home tomorrow. It is currently 68 degrees in London. That is a drastic difference and one I will not enjoy.

I think the highlight of this entire three weeks has been the music festival I went to on Sunday. Seeing Outkast live has made my year. I cannot see anything that would be able to top that. Sightseeing London and Paris has been amazing, but I do not have as much emotional and childhood memories revolving around these two places like I do with the musical group Outkast. Outkast was a large part of my childhood and I never thought I’d be able to see them perform because they broke up so long ago. It was definitely a check off my bucket list. I actually achieved several checks off my bucket list through this trip, but I still have yet to reach No. 1 on the list. That requires a trip to Montreux, Switzerland.

So bon voyage London! I will miss you and hope to return as soon as possible!

For our last week in London we had our final guest speaker and agency visit. Paul Bell came to speak to us on Tuesday and we toured the BBC on Wednesday.

Paul Bell was once a partner with one of the companies we visited last week, Bell-Pottinger. Whenever he visited he gave us the overview of his successes in life through his career. He spoke of all the work he’s done in numerous countries around the world, helping their governments in amazing ways through communications. He talked about some of his work with the United States government in Middle East while he was working for Bell-Pottinger. He obviously could not tell us everything about it, but he gave us a good overview of the types of things he did there and the difference he made. He spoke about an advertisement that he put together for the Middle East citizens during voting. A Middle East citizen was interviewed by someone in the United Kingdom and asked why he wasn’t afraid or if he was. His response was that he got his idea for not being afraid because of Bell’s ad. I thought that was really cool. I hope that I can do something like that someday, to see the impact of whatever I end up doing so clearly.

On Wednesday, we toured the BBC in the late afternoon. This was the aspect of the trip that I looked forward to most. Basically, it is what sold me on going on this trip this summer. I love British television and I cannot properly express my joy being at the heart of BBC television. I saw numerous Sherlock and Doctor Who trinkets displayed throughout the building. There was a Dalek and the Police Box that The Doctor flies in immediately as we entered.

Our view of their newsroom was amazing. I work in a newsroom back home and this felt and looked completely different. I really wish I could of had the chance to actually go down to the lower level, but it makes sense that this was not allowed.

Our tour guides gave us some information regarding the BBC that I was unaware of. For instance, there are no anchors at BBC. Every single person in the newsroom and on broadcast is a journalist. They even said that they rehearse famous people’s deaths. Our guide Simon made a joke stating that, “you know you made it big if we plan your death.”

We were given the chance to do a moc reporting session while at the BBC. Three of our group members reported the news and weather and it was a humorous site considering how awful they were at it. Next we were able to do another moc performance, but it was a radio drama that was acted out this time. The story we were given was absolutely hilarious, with our group members doing a spectacular job at it. I was laughing the whole time, along with everyone else.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the guest speaker Paul Bell and finally touring the BBC Studios. It was the perfect way to end the trip.

This past Sunday I did one of the most fulfilling things in my 21 years; a music festival called Wireless. Wireless is a three day music event where multiple bands across the world come and perform. I went on the final day, July 6, to see one of my favorite childhood bands perform, Outkast. There were numerous other acts among Salt n’ Pepa, Paul Newman, J. Cole, Ellie Goulding and Bruno Mars; but I went for Outkast.

Outkast went on right before Bruno Mars, the headliner, performed. They performed some of the biggest hits like Hey Ya, Roses, Ms. Jackson and So Fresh, So Clean. I was able to record a portion of my favorite song, Hey Ya, during the concert.

Next Bruno Mars came on and he gave such a wonderful performance. I am not the biggest fan of Bruno because I feel like all of his music is about the same thing, but I grew to appreciate him more after seeing him live. He is an amazing performer, keeping the audience entertained throughout. He dances, does his silly moves like in his music videos and much more.

Before Bruno and Outkast came on, it was Ellie Goulding’s spotlight. I enjoy her music, but have never been the biggest fan, just like with Bruno. It seems to be a trend, seeing someone perform live really changes your view on the artist. Watching and listening to Ellie Goulding was an entirely different animal. She was an amazing performer, but a bit weird at times as well.

Overall, this concert was amazing and I am so grateful I was able to attend it. Whenever Bruno was coming on to perform it started to pour. Right before he dropped his curtain, a beautiful rainbow appeared beyond the stage.

On July 5 I went on an adventure to “get lost” in London. I was able to check one thing off my bucket list that day, ride a double decker bus. Somehow during our groups exploring, we ended up in a fun area called Camden Town. There were shops of food, products and services. I ate some Turkish food, among the numerous choices available to me. The shops were amazing, ranging from music to clothing shops, with everything in between. One particular service that I found fascinating was this one called Zoola Fish. Initially, I was bit freaked out by what the service was. It is basically a fish pedicure.

The fish suck all the dead skin off your feet, making them smoother than any pedicure I’ve ever had. The fish are called Garra Rufa, which are a toothless fish. The primary reason I dove in and got this pedicure was because Diana was getting it. The sensation of the fish sucking on your feet is peculiar. It is a very ticklish feeling, almost like when your feet are “waking up” from being “asleep.” I absolutely loved it and really wish the United States had something like this so I could do it again.

Every American knows that July 4 is the day we declared our independence from Great Britain. This year I was unable to be in the United States for our wonderful Independence Day because I am in England. Instead of sticking around England, I chose to travel to Paris, France; where we received assistance in gaining our independence.

Upon arrival in Paris, I was shocked at the level of filth in the streets. I had heard that Paris was a dirty city, but I never imagined that it was that filthy. I couldn’t believe that I saw hobos sleeping on the bridge and the sheer amount of trash on the ground, especially in the touristy areas. That was by far the most shocking part of the day trip.

I went with a few other people in our class and made a day trip out of it. We travelled through another tour company to the Eiffel Tower, did a cruise around the river and visited the Louvre.

We went up to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower and had an amazing view. It felt around the same height as the Empire State Building, but I am unsure if that is accurate.

Next we went on a cruise on the Seine river. We had beautiful views of Notre Dame, old bridges and architecture, and the Eiffel Tower.

Lastly, our group travelled to the Louvre where the Mona Lisa is on display. When I saw her, I was actually quite disappointed. I expected her to be a bit larger and impressive, since she is so famous. In fact, I saw numerous other Leonardo Da Vinci paintings that were more impressive and beautiful. I was quite impressed with the Aphrodite statue though, even taking a selfie with her.

Overall, my trip to Paris is something I will never forget. I can now say that I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Mona Lisa and Aphrodite statue.

Powerpoint presentation over the material discussed with visual examples: Lynx

I. Introduction

Lynx is a line of men’s body products and fragrances that is distributed across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China. Unilever, an English-Dutch company, launched Lynx in the U.K. in 1985 after introducing it two years earlier in France under the name “Axe.” Copyright infringement issues forced Unilever to rebrand their product for use in the U.K., though the company retained the line’s original name when it began to sell the product in the United States in 2002.

Lynx enjoys great economic success, with more than eight million men using its products every day, according to Unilever’s website. Much of this is accomplished through clever media campaigns that aim to encourage young males to buy Lynx to increase their desirability toward women in a humorous light.

II. Communication Materials

Lynx is famous for their comedic television advertisements that usually revolve around a male character using the product to improve his sexual prowess. The advertisements range from being tongue-in-cheek to crude humor. When the brand launched Lynx Peace, its newest addition to the body product lineup, it produced a one-minute commercial that promotes both the product and the idea of peace across the globe.

Part of the campaign for Lynx Peace also relied on social media. Lynx’s YouTube channel uploaded a video where the new product “invades the U.K.” with the design of peace symbols throughout U.K. urban and rural settings using lights, graffiti and even people. This campaign encouraged the idea of spreading peace through artistic means. The use of music without lyrics also doesn’t restrict viewers of different languages from understanding the video’s message of universal peace.

Lynx also conducted a photograph competition through Instagram called “Make Moments Not War.” Customers were encouraged to send in photographs showing what they think peace looks like using the hashtag #lynxpeace and tagging them to Lynx’s Instagram account. The eight winners each received an iPhone while other participants’ photos were showcased on the competition’s main website.

Lynx uses print advertisements as well, with many of their posters showing content similar to their television commercials. They also use video boards that display 15-second advertisements showing different fragrances of Lynx body wash throughout areas such as the London Underground.

III. Target Audience

Lynx is targeted to teenaged boys and young men aged 16 to 24. The brand recently introduced a new line called “Lynx Attract For Her,” which is targeted toward young women in the same age range.

IV. Message and Media Strategy

Lynx’s promotional campaigns center on the idea that men can increase their desirability and enjoy successful interactions with women when using their products. The brand’s strategy relies on humorous television and print advertisements that can be shared through social media along with interactive campaigns.

V. Using the Campaign Globally

This campaign strategy could be successful in other countries because its message of increasing male desirability is applicable to the desires of members of the target audience in other countries. The humor in Lynx advertisements also makes the product memorable and unique compared to other advertisements for similar products.

VI. Strategy and U.S. Comparison

Lynx’s communication methods are an example of a global strategy to market the brand. Many of Lynx’s television commercials, including the “Make Love Not War” advertisements, are also used for Axe’s campaigns with logo changes. Axe’s media campaigns in the U.S. differ somewhat in cultural aspects, particularly with their social media campaigns.

When Lynx introduced its “Make Moments Not War” Instagram competition, Axe launched its own interactive campaign encouraging people to send pictures of them and their partner with the hashtag #kissforpeace. This campaign focused more on Americans’ affinity for love and companionship as being a source of peace while the U.K. version focused on seeing the public’s artistic and intellectual renderings of peace through photographs.

Axe also differs in that it relies more heavily on promotional partnerships with movie releases or celebrity endorsements. It also hosts more promotional parties across the country to market the Axe brand.

On June 29 I went on a guided tour to visit places around Britain. We went through a touring agency and visited Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle. For some reason I had not realized that Stonehenge was in Great Britain. I was not really sure where it truly was in fact. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could go visit it while here. I went with a few other people from our class and it was quite the wonderful adventure.

First, we went to Windsor Castle. Our group of five decided not to go into Windsor Castle due to funds, but it had little shops surrounding the area, so we explored these instead.

Second, our tour traveled to the city of Bath and visited the Roman Baths. These were quite beautiful and full of ancient history. I greatly enjoyed this part of the tour because you could see the age and beauty of the architecture. You could tell that the premises were well taken care of, yet see where age had taken its’ tole on the architecture. The baths and the town were beyond beautiful. It made me wish that I could live there year-round.

Our final stop was Stonehenge. This was the place that I wished to visit the most. I cannot begin to express my excitement for seeing Stonehenge. All I can say is that I can check that off my bucket list.

The second week of being in London has passed and so have our agency visits. Our class had our last visit today at Wieden + Kennedy this morning. The agency was not what I was expecting. It was vastly different than the other two agencies that we visited this week, along with any other agency I have visited in the past.

During the visit we were able to see the layout of the premises because we were given a tour prior to the presentation they prepared for us. Their office was laid back and open to stimulate the creative flow. I really enjoyed the refreshing layout of their office, but I’m not sure I would be able to work in an office space like that. I enjoy my personal space and prefer to have an area to myself.

Aside from the work environment, I learned a great deal about what their company represents. I did not realize that they were the agency that does the advertising for Nike and Old Spice. I found that to be quite impressive. I remember whenever all of the Old Spice advertisements came out a couple years ago, enjoying them very much.

These particular advertisements impressed me a lot because they grabbed your attention and held it throughout the clip. I am not sure if they were still involved whenever Terry Crews became Old Spice’s commercial star, but since I’m not a big fan of those particular commercials I hope they weren’t.

During the presentation they gave us a “creative exercise” to give us a broad idea on how to market ourselves better to potential employers. They spoke about examples that they did and ones they noticed along the way. For instance, they spoke about a particularly recent one that occurred at their company. A person sent in a package to their boss and it was an animals testicals packaged in a container like beef with humorous phrases relating to the person that sent it in. This was more British humor than American because I found it to be absolutely disgusting. Though the presenters were beyond themselves because the person that sent the package had included numerous spelling errors, essentially ensuring the man would not get the position he desired.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed Wieden + Kennedy last Thursday morning. They gave an insight into how their company is set up and presented what they do in a new fashion. They got the group of college students that are still learning the business to think on their feet and come up with any idea, whether it be good or bad.

On Saturday I decided to wander around London with a few other people and essentially get “lost.” We picked a random stop on the Metropolitan Line and wandered around that part for a bit. It turned out to be a residential area with different aspects to it that I had yet to experience in London. We came across this one sign that bewildered me. Initially I thought it was a sign of a turtle.

This is what I saw:

I was incredibly confused by this sign, which ties into my previous D.O.G. about driving in London. There are so many different signs that Londoners have to learn to be allowed to drive on the road compared to the United States. I researched what this sign was by google image searching the picture I took above. It came up with the Know Your Traffic Signs electronic file as my answer. This is the official edition of the United Kingdom for traffic signs. I ended up opening up a 144 page document. I scrolled down to page 72 and found my answer.

This is what I saw:

There is no way that I would have been able to figure out the sign meant a hump is one-half mile away. Beyond that, there aren’t sign examples of humps being closer to the point you are at beyond a half-mile away. London driving will always bewilder me.

This past week we’ve had a guest speaker and two agency visits. Our guest speaker on Monday was Dr. Gayle Kerr and she is a professor from Australia. She specializes in advertising where she teaches in Australia. Her presentation had a mixture of information in it. She spoke about several different advertisements that had me interested throughout the presentation. One in particular I related to most. The Game of Thrones YouTube clip was the most interesting in my eyes. She was unable to get the clip to work during the presentation, but I was able to find it online.

Here it is:

I found this clip genius and I wish the United States would come up with creative ideas like this for anything, not just a television show.

On Tuesday, we visited Bell-Pottinger Public Relations firm and David Wilson, the Group Managing Director, spoke to us for about an hour and a half. He covered a variety of topics, but the topic that stuck out most and was spoken about most was Rebekah Brooks. He worked for Brooks at the beginning of her crisis situation with the wiretapping scandal in 2011. He told us a bit about what they did for her and that he worked for her up until she was charged. According to Wilson, once she was charged she terminated his services. He appeared quite happy that Brooks was cleared of all charges, stating that even journalists had said there was only circumstantial evidence against her. He spoke of many other aspects of their business, but considering this was the most relevant information in present time, it especially stuck out.

Today, our group visited 360i London. This adventure was quite different than the rest of our visits. They spoke about the technical side of public relations, more than our other visits and speakers. They especially spoke about data mining and how their company utilizes it efficiently. A decent about of the presentation went over my head, considering they spoke on the more technical side and I specialize on the creative side of public relations. They talked about certain programs that were apparently very expensive programs to utilize. Overall, I think I learned a lot more from this visit than I did the others. They gave me a new view on how public relations works. I did not realize that there was so much technical work that went into it.

These visits this week have been rather exciting. I have greatly enjoyed meeting the public relations professionals and seeing their places of work. Getting to experience that alone has been wonderful. I look forward to our visit with Wieden + Kennedy more because of the sheer amount of information I’ve been able to retain from these few visits.